Apparatus for the manufacture of gas



.|. E. CHRISTOPHER.

'APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE 0F GAS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 28, |920.

Patented Feb; 1, 1921.

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w.. W l mgm/m, N M N UNITED STATE@ ilitiTEiN'l' @FFME JOHN EDVJARD CHRISTOPHER, OF LVIARYPORT, ENGLAND, SSIGNOR TO HIMSELF .AND THOMAS HENRY BYRi, @IF BRONDESBURY, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE Oli' GAS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. l, 1921.

To all wiz/0m t may concern.'

TorHnie a suhjeot'ot the King of Greatlritain, residing in lliaryport, England, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus tor the Manufacture of Gas, of which the tolloivinav is a speeiiieation.

This invention relates to apparatus *for the distillation, earhonization or gasiliew tion of coal7 earhonaeeous material., oil shales and the lilre and has 'for its object to provide an improved apparatus and method or' working; which is particularly erfoiioinieal and ellieient. y

According to the invention, the apparatus comprises a retort or chamber adapted to be heated hy nieans ot a suitable heating gas which is admitted `together with air it neees sary into a main external heating line sur rounding the retort. Tivo auxiliary chamhers ihres or regenerative sections7 or two series thereo't, arranged in connection with the main iiiie to receive the products oi' Combustion from the main line and thus farther to heat the retort. Danipers or the like are so arranged that the products of combustion may he a L niitted to one or other ot lthe auxiliary chambers or series thereof as desired. The yheated products of eoinhustion pass entirely tiroiigh one or other of the auxiliary chambers or series fthereoii, giving` up a portion of their heat` and pass 4finally into a chimney stack. .During the period in which one auxiliary chamber or series thereof .is being; het ted hv the, prod nets of combustion, steam may he admitted into the upper end or" the other auxiliary elian'xher or series; thereo and passes doivn into a suitable distributing; Chamber and thence into the retort?4 becoming siiperlieated in its passage. The Vllow of the products ot Combustion and the steam is changed periw odieallir after the lrnoivn principle oit the reversing' type ot regenerator systems by suitable 'dempers or the like. The introduction of siiperheated steam into the retort produces a highly benelieial action and greatly assists the proeess.

The aiixiliargT chambers, 'tlues or regrenerative sections may have a filling of suitably arranged heat retainingmaterial such as hriols, Jfor example, if desired.

To enable the invention to be tally understood, it will now he described by reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a sectional elevation of a retort constructed according` to one :torre of the invention;

Fig. il is a section through a portion thereoiz showing the arrangement oi the dempers 5 3 is a sectional plan View;

Fig. 4t is a sectional side elevation of the top gortion or' the retort, showing the pase or' the products of combustion and also t he steam in one of the auxiliary Chams or series thereof; l 1g. 5 is a sectional view of the valve for controlling the admission ot steam to the auxiliary 'lines .fis shovn in the drawings the lower portion of the chamber or retort A is heated by mea. oit producer gras, eoal gas or any other suitable gas which is admitted, with air if nece sary. into a niain efternal heating tluev B C. rlhe products oi combustion imite in a horizontal tiene and pass upward into one or other oit 'the auxiliary regenerative sections, chambers or fines or l? according t the position oit the dempers il and H. The heated jgiodiiets of combustion thus pass entirely through one other of suoh auxil'ary seotions giving up a portion or' their heat and finally eine )jing into a ehimnei,T steel; l. after a solist tial reduction in teniperatnre. During` the periodr in which one regenerative section is heilig heated by the products of combustion, steam may he admitted at the upper end of the remainingV seotioin becomes superheated by Contact With the previously heated Walls and passes by reason of the position of Ithe damper J through `the Dort M into a vertieal channel la7 and issues irrorn a, port N into a distribut- Chamber K enteringy the retort itself through the passages (l, and thereby acts as a means of transferring' heat the prod rrorn trots oiE Combustion ot the rases in the-lilies to `the contents of the retort itself. The steam admitted to `the :iiixiliary dues is eontrolled by a valve of the type illustrated in Fig. 5. rilhe steam enters at il and with the ralve in the 'position indicated at T emerges through passage R to the port l). However, when `the valve is in the position indicated by the dotted lines C" steam enters at V and leaves by the passage S nfhich is connected tothe port Q and the auxiliary tlues l?.

in Fig. l the passage of the prod cts oi combustion is indicated by iull line arrows, the passage oi' the steam being indicated by dotted line arrows.

The :tlow of the waste gases and oi the steam is changed periodically after the Yknown principle of the reversing type of regenerative systems by means ot the dampers (l, ,li and l and a suitable two-way coclt for the steam.

The dempers may be operated by means oit rods, levers or the lille so that il' and ll more simultaneously in the saine direction, the damper l being simultaneously moved in the opposite direction. it twoway coclr is also arranged to be simultaneously oser-ated to admit steam through the port when the damper il is moved to the right in the position shown in the drawing, and through the -port Q when the damper (l is moved to the lett.

Having thus described the nature of the said invention and the best neans linow ci carrying the same into practical effect, l. claim:

l. A vertical retort, having a main exterv nal heating flue, a superposod auxiliary flue connected to said main tlue on one side ci? the retort, a superposed auxiliary flue connected to said main liuc on the other side of the retort, dainpers tor selectively cutting oil one or the other or the auxiliary tlues trom the main iue, and means tor admitting steam into the auxiliary line so cut of?, said retort haring passage conducting the steam from said auxiliary ilue into the retort.

9;. A retort having a main external heating ilus, two auxiliary ilues in connection therewith, controlling' means whereby either of the auxiliary tlues may be selectively cut oil irom the main heating ilues, means for admitting steam into the auxiliary hue which is cut oli from the main tine, and into direct contact with the heated walls thereof and gases the-rein and means tor conducting said steam into tue retort.

rfi retort having' a main external heating flue, two series ot auxiliary fines in connection therewith, controlling means whereby either series of auxiliary 'fines can be selectively cut off Strom the main heating ilus and means for admitting steam in the series of auxiliary lines which is cut oli trom said main iiue, said retort having passage ways tor conducting said steam into the retort.

A retort having a main external heatinertie ing flue, two auxiliary lues in connection therewith, controlling means whereby either ot the auxiliary iiues may bc selectively cul: oi' from the main heating' liuc, a steam cool: for admitting steam into the auxiliary 'flue that is cut off from said main liuc, and a steam distributing chamber in connection with the interior oli the retort whereby heat may be conveyed by said steam from the walls of said auxiliary :lines to the charge in the retort.

5. A retort having a main external heating flue, two series ot auxiliary tlues in connection therewith, controlling means whereby either series of auxiliary tlues may be selectively cut oil from the main heating hue, a steam cock for admitting` steam into the series or auxiliary tlues that is cut oli from the main heating ilue, and a steam distributing chamber in connection with the series of auxiliary tlues and with the retort.

il. vertical retort having a main external heating lue, a series ot superposed auxiliary flues connected to said main flue on one side of the retort, a series of superposed auxiliary iiues connected to said main flue on the other side of the retort, dampers for alternately cutting oil each series of anxiliary iclues trom the main flue., a steam coclt `for admitting steam into one series of superposed auxiliary ilues in direct contact with the heated walls thereof and gases therein and a steam distributing chamber in connection withthe auxiliary lines and the interior of the retort.

'i'. A -vertical retort having a main external heating nue, a series of superposed auxiliary lines connected to said main flue on one side oi the retort, a series ci' superposed auxiliary dues connected to said main flue on the other side oi the retort, damper-s for selectively cutting olf one series ot auxiliary llues from the main tlue, a steam cock for admitting steam into one series of auxiliary tlues, in direct contact with the heated walls thereof and residual gases therein and a steam distributing chamber in connection with the auxiliary flues and the retort, whereby the superheated steam and residual gases are conducted to the interior of the retort.

8. An apparatus for introducing heat into the charge of a retort having a main external heating flue surrounding a portion of said retort, two auxiliary heating lues l0- cated above said main flue and on opposite sides ci said retort, dampers for alternately closing the passage ways between the main flue and each of said auxiliary llues, means for passing steam into the auxiliary iue which is disconnected from the main flue, said steam being in direct contact with the heated auxiliary liue and the residual gases therein, and a distributing chamber connected with the auxiliary fines for admitting the superheated steam and residual gases to the interior of the retort.

9. The method of introducing heat into the Charge of a retort which consists iu pass- 5 ing heated products ot combustion in a confined body about the exterior of the retort,

discontinuing the flow of such gases, introducing steam about the exterior of the retort and then introducing the residual gases from said confined body into the retort with the superheated steam.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification. JOHN EDWARD CHRSTOPHER. 

